No ordinary sport: Some athletes take sports out of school

Hilary Walesch, Bishop Moore High School

With abundant opportunities for extracurricular activities, participating in sports is among the most popular choices for high school students. But what happens to those students whose sports are not offered at their local high school?

Mia O'Brien and Matt Lewis both attend a high school where their respective sports are not played. Because of this, they face challenges that students on high school sports teams do not.

Horseback riding is a lifestyle

Mia O'Brien, 16, is a junior at Oviedo High School and has been riding horses for eight years. She is at the barn five days a week, and her competitions range from two days to eight weeks long.

While finding the time to dedicate to her sport can be challenging, O'Brien embraces the commitment.

"It's a huge commitment, more than even having a job," said O'Brien. "You can't just call in sick. It's a lifestyle."

With the weight of her sport on her shoulders, O'Brien's riding has become somewhat of a social outlet, and has affected her school work.

"I actually lost credit my freshman year and had to be homeschooled due to missing too many days for showing(?)," said O'Brien.

Although keeping her sport and classes separate hinders her school and social life, O'Brien wouldn't have it any other way.

"Some people don't understand that, but I feel that if horseback riding was offered in school, more people who don't have the same passion for horses would just do it, and I don't think that's right," said O'Brien.

If you're not practicing, you're racing

Matt Lewis, 17, attends Winter Park High School and racing cars is his passion. He became interested in racing after he attended the Daytona 500 with his dad when he was 12. He has been racing ever since.

Racing for Lewis is quite the commitment. He spends three to eight hours a day practicing and working on his car.

"You always are out at the track practicing and trying to find the perfect setup," said Lewis. "If you're not practicing, you're racing."

Even with all that commitment, Lewis is able to balance his sport and his school work.

Unlike O'Brien, Lewis sees his school not providing his sport as a disadvantage. "I would love to be in a mechanics class learning more and more about cars," said Lewis. "I want to learn as much as I can so I can be better off in the long run."